The Nanputuo Temple is a famous Buddhist temple in the Southeast coast of China, located on Xiamen island and at the foot of Mount Wulaofeng. It is next to Xiamen University. Behind the temple has the beautiful hills with their mysterious grottoes and green trees, and to its front is the deep blue sea with sparkling waves. The sea melted into the sky provides pleasant scenery.
Founded in the Tang dynasty, the Nanputuo Temple has a long history and embodies the Southern Fujian (Minnan) culture and, therefore, it is known as A Millennium Ancient Monastery. A pair of couplets on the pillars of the Mahāvīra Hall writes:
“It is ancient as it was built during the Kaiyuan period of the Tang dynasty.
Its light shines more gloriously as Xiamen facing Mount Taiwu.”
The temple was damaged and reconstructed several times. In the beginning, it was founded by Ven. Master Qing Hao during the Five Dynasties (A.D. 907-960) and was known as the Sizhou Temple. Later, it was reconstructed and renamed as Wu Jin Rock (Boundless Rock) by Ven. Master Wen Cui in the Song Dynasty (A.D. 960-1279). Destroyed during the Yuan Dynasty in 1314, it was rebuilt by Ven. Master Jue Guang and was renamed as Puzhao Temple or Puzhao House in 1368, where it provided resident facilities to more than hundred monks. The temple was renovated during the reign of Ming Emperor Yongle (1403-1423), but then again was destroyed in warfare in 1628.
General Shi Lang, the Marquis Jinghai, withdrew his army from Taiwan to Xiamen in 1684 (the 23rd year of the reign of Qing Emperor Kangxi). He had a dream in which he saw four characters Hui Ri Pu Zhao (the sapient sun illuminates the world). The next day, he was astonished to know that there was a Puzhao Temple in Xiamen and an elderly Buddhist master called Hui Ri was the abbot. Afterwards the discussion on the Buddhist Dharma with Ven. Master Hui Ri, Shi Lang felt delighted. Seeing that the temple was in bad repair, he rebuilt it and named the temple Nanputuo according to the verses written in Avataṃsaka Sūtra “there is a Bodhisattva named Guan Zi Zai (Avalokiteśvara) who lives on the Mount Potalaka”.
During the reign of the Qing Emperor Yongzheng (1723 to 1735), the temple was under the rule of Ven. Master Jing Feng belonging to Linji Heyun School at Nanshan and the lineage of Ven. Master Genxin Xingmi was from Nanshan Temple in Zhangzhou. The master contributed for the development of the temple. The Heyun School was founded in the Nanshan Temple of Zhangzhou during the Ming Dynasty based on the teachings of Linji Sect. It spread to Xiamen, Quanzhou, Taiwan, Singapore and the Philippines. The Nanputuo Temple was one of the centres of the Linji Sect Heyun School in modern times.
In 1833, the 13th reign year of the Qing Emperor Daoguang, Ven. Master Xing Ji, a third eneration disciple of Ven. Master Jing Feng, collected alms to renovate the temple once again, in particular the Avalokiteśvara Hall and the surrounding cloisters, together with the Bell and Drum Towers. In 1895, the 21st year of the reign of the Emperor Guangxu, Ven. Master Xi Can succeeded Ven. Master Fo Ri, a follower of the Nanshan Heyun School, and acted as an abbot. He continued to construct the temple, reopened seven halls and held the ordination for two times. In 1921, another follower of the Heyun School Ven. Master Zhuan Feng became the abbot. In 1924, he replaced the old inheritance of appointing abbots to election system, named the Ten Direction Saṅgha Gathering system.
Ven. Master Hui Quan was the first abbot appointed under the new system of Ten Direction Saṅgha Gathering. After taking up office, with the support of Ven. Master Zhuan Feng, Ven. Master Hui Quan established the Buddhist College of Minnan and of which he was the first rector. In 1927, with the full support of Ven. Master Hui Quan, Ven. Master Tai Xu was appointed as the abbot of the Nanputuo Temple and the rector of the Buddhist College of Minnan. During the period which he was in charge, Ven. Master Tai Xu was active in promoting the reform of monastic system, propagating the Outlines for the Monkhood System in Modern China and implementing Trust in the Three Treasures-Buddha, Dharma and Saṅgha to Cultivate Monastics: Study the Six Perfections to Achieve Monastic Life. Ven. Master Tai Xu also reformed the teaching system and the syllabus of the College and established a graduate school with different specializations. He himself also taught the students and encouraged them to be great monastics by both leaning and practice Buddhism. He lectured on subjects including The Monastic Education Should Be Based On Vinaya and Practices; The Aims and Purpose of Buddhism; Outline of Buddhism for Novice Monastics. Under the title of The Crisis in the Current Monastic Education and the Future of Buddhism, he also energetically opposed the traditional scholar-teachings of bureaucrats or ways which had been applied in monastic education system. He also encouraged young monastics to shoulder their responsibility to promote Buddhism, and to develop the temperaments of diligence, endurance, simplicity and devote themselves to the dissemination of Buddhism. After the teachings and reforms of Ven. Master Tai Xu, the discipline and spirit of the Buddhist College of Minnan was renewed, it became one of the best Buddhist colleges in China and renowned over the world. A number of highly reputed Buddhist masters graduated from the college including Ven. Master Yin Shun and Ven. Master Zhu Mo, etc. In 1938, the 64-year-old Ven. Master Hui Quan was unanimously re-invited to become the abbot of the Nanputuo Temple.
In 1957, Ven. Master Miao Zhan became the eighth abbot of the Nanputuo Temple. He served this position for 39 years until his death in 1995. During his tenure, Ven. Master Miao Zhan extended the temple, re-opened the Buddhist College of Minnan and established the Nanputuo Charitable Foundation of Xiamen, all of which laid a solid foundation for the future development of the Nanputuo Temple. In 1997, in accordance with the electoral system, the temple invited Master Sheng Hui to be the 9th, 10th and 11th Abbot. During his term, he set a good example for his followers and led devotees to practise the teaching of Buddha diligently. He taught the devotees the ways of practicing Buddhism, principles of karma, how to resolve their minds to practise Buddhism, and moral ways of life. He also followed the policy of Learning and Practising as a Whole; Manage the College in Monastic Ways. As a result, the Nanputuo Temple became a centre of Buddhist practice for all devotees, a cradle for nurturing Buddhist talents as well as a window for the communication between Chinese and foreign Buddhist organizations. In October 2005, Master Ze Wu became the 12th Abbot. The new Abbot is committed to promote the Humanistic Buddhism of Ven. Master Tai Xuwith the main idea of "The only way to worship Buddha is to develop personal moral integrity; one becomes Buddha when he completes his moral integrity, which is called reality." He continuously forges ahead, promotes patriotism and devoutness, creates prosperity for the temple and stability for the monastic community, practices Buddhism, and looks for ways to benefit for people.
Ven. Master Ze Wu, by moving with times, was the first person in China to cancel selling entry ticket of the Nanputuo Temple and promoted Enviromental Friendly Ways of Worshipping, etc. which benefitted all Buddhist comminuties and people. Moreover, he rebuilt the temple, made conprehansive plans for the developemt of the temple and led the temple to a new era of development.
Under the careful management of past abbots, the buildings of the Nanputuo Temple have been renovated several times and its scale was enlarged; the temple has held many Buddhist and cultural functions for the public, and has become a new model to the monastic community in the southeast of China.
Backing the hills and facing the sea, the Nanputuo Temple has a grand scale with a total area of 25.8 hectares and construction area of 21,270 square meters. The area is divided into two parts - the external part is a garden where pavilions, pools, pagodas and a lotus pond is located; the interior part consists of the monastic buildings and the dormitories. The main buildings of the temple are the Cāturmahārājika Hall, the Mahāvīra Hall, the Mahākaruṇā Hall and the Sūtra Depository which are built down the hillside and they create a majestic atmosphere. The three main halls are enclosed on East and West by cloisters which unite them as a whole. Outside the two cloisters, there are the Puzhao Building, the Haihui Building, the Residence of the Abbot, the Teaching Building, the Charity Building, the Meditation Hall and the dormitories for teachers and students.
